The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 22 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop |
| Registration | Open, online |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Piazza della Porziuncola, Santa Maria degli Angeli, about 09:15 |
| Finish | Piazza della Porziuncola, Santa Maria degli Angeli |
| Total finishers | To be Confirmed |
| Avg race-day temp | To be Confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| Free race-day transport | No |
| Course certification | FIDAL homologated, type A (national calendar) |
History
The San Francesco Marathon began in 2023, and the 2026 race is the third edition. It is organised by Life Running Assisi as a FIDAL national road race, with Kolorado in a technical role, and it sits alongside a 21K, a competitive 10K, a non-competitive 10K and a Saturday community walk called Vieni con me.
The organiser frames the 2026 edition around the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis. The organiser says the 2026 route reuses the 2025 route, with smoother and longer sections than the launch-era course, so older maps from 2023 should not be used.
FIDAL lists the race as 42.195 km, type A, on the national calendar. No FIDAL Silver or Gold tier and no World Athletics label was found, so none should be implied. Past winners, finisher counts and a course record were not found.
The course
The marathon starts at about 09:15 in Piazza della Porziuncola in Santa Maria degli Angeli, the lower district of Assisi, and finishes in the same square. The organiser describes the route as Santa Maria degli Angeli, Bastia Umbra, Spello and an olive-grove panorama, then back to Santa Maria degli Angeli, and calls it relatively level and fast with long, flowing sections.
The 2026 route heads north-west to Bastia Umbra, loops back through the lower town, then runs a long way south-east across the valley floor through Rivotorto, home of the Sacro Tugurio, to the far end beside Spello at about 27 km, 12 km from the start. It returns by the same valley roads. The chart reads between 188 and 242 m, with no climb over 52 m in a single stretch.
The organiser gives no climb figure. Start and finish are in the valley, not at the hilltop basilica.
Kilometre by kilometre
Kilometre positions come from the 2026 route and are approximate to about half a kilometre.
Km 0 to 8: out of the square. Runners meet at 07:00 and the gun fires at about 09:15 in Piazza della Porziuncola. The valley roads are flat and give a controlled start. The route heads north-west by Via Los Angeles to Bastia Umbra, reaching Via Roma at 2 km and Via San Rocco at 3 km, then swings east on Via della Repubblica at 4 and 5 km and returns to Santa Maria degli Angeli on Via dell'Isola Romana at 6 km, rising 36 m to about 239 m at 7 km. The first aid stands at km 5.
Km 8 to 19: south-east across the valley. The line comes back past Via Patrono d'Italia and Via Carducci at 8 and 9 km, then turns south-east through Santa Maria Maddalena at 10 km and Rivotorto on Via Frate Egidio and Via dei Tre Compagni at 12 to 14 km. It continues past Case Nuove and Capitan Loreto on Via Fonte Citerna at 16 to 18 km, descending gently to about 188 m. This is the long, level middle of the first half. Aid stands every 5 km with water, supplements and solid food.
Km 19 to 28: towards Spello. The route turns east on Via Ponte Pazienza at 20 and 21 km and reaches Via San Felice and Spello at 22 km, then climbs 52 m over 8 km at 0.7 per cent along Via Centrale Umbra and Via Giuseppe Di Vittorio to the far end near Via Traversa San Cristoforo at about 27 km. The organiser promotes the Spello and olive-grove section as the scenic part. The chart's high point, about 242 m, comes at 28 km, so run this stretch by effort and do not chase pace. The route stays in the valley and does not climb into the town of Spello.
Km 28 to 42: the return. The line comes back by Via Spineto and Via Centrale Umbra at 28 to 31 km, then Via delle Regioni through Capitan Loreto at 32 to 34 km and Via Romana at 35 km. It re-enters Rivotorto on Via del Sacro Tugurio at 36 to 39 km, passes Santa Maria Maddalena at 40 km and finishes via Viale D'Annunzio and Via Patrono d'Italia in Piazza della Porziuncola, where bag pick-up is. The road is closed for 6h30, which is about 15:45 from a 09:15 gun. No interim cut-off has been published.
Pace groups are promised for the 42K, but no target-time table is published. If you have a time goal, run your own splits. The organiser mentions music and animation along the course, but their placement is unconfirmed.
Flat valley roads from Piazza della Porziuncola to Bastia Umbra and back. Hold back for the first aid at km 5.
A long, level run through Rivotorto and Capitan Loreto with aid every 5 km. Bank nothing.
Olive terraces and the scenic stretch, with the highest ground of the lap at about 242 m. Run it by effort.
Back along the valley and through Rivotorto to the finish in the square, with a 6h30 limit.
Course Map
The map shows the 2026 edition route. Tap a marker for the start, finish, station and the places on the course, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
The organiser promises free, identifiable pace groups for both the 21K and the 42K, but no 2026 target-time table appears in the rules.
The start and the finish are in Piazza della Porziuncola in Santa Maria degli Angeli, the lower district of Assisi. The famous basilica is a steep ride up the hill and is not at the start.
This is a competitive road race with a 6h30 limit, and a federation card or athletics medical certificate is required for the marathon. The Saturday Vieni con me walk is separate.
Late November in the Umbrian valley can be cool, damp or bright, and no sourced race-day temperature was found. The gun fires at about 09:15 and the meeting time is 07:00, so most of the wait is in the cold of the early morning.
Bring a throwaway layer for the square and a bag for dry clothes at the finish, where you may be standing a while collecting your bag. Gloves and a light hat are sensible. Check the forecast in race week. The rules do not describe a discard policy for clothing, so ask the organiser before leaving a good jacket.
Entry
Entry is online through ICRON and open, with no ballot. The 2026 fees rise by date, as in the table below. Earlier tiers were €50 to the end of March and €62 from April to July. At about €1 to £0.858 the three late tiers are roughly £60, £69 and £82, before payment charges. An unpaid entry is cancelled automatically after 72 hours. There is no pre-registration, and group concessions are arranged by email with the amount unstated.
The 42K needs the runner to be 20 or over by birth year. Competitive entry needs a 2026 FIDAL card, a RunCard or RunCard-EPS with a valid competitive medical certificate specifically for athletics, or a club card from a foreign federation recognised by World Athletics. A foreign runner declares membership at entry and signs the original declaration at bib collection. The current rules do not state a tourist or non-ranked route for the full marathon, so ask the organiser if you have no federation card. The document deadline is not stated beyond before the competition.
A bib cannot be transferred or swapped. The first 800 marathon entrants are guaranteed a T-shirt.
| Registration window (2026) | Marathon fee |
|---|---|
| To 30 September | €70 (about £60) |
| 1 October to 15 November | €80 (about £69) |
| 16 to 21 November | €95 (about £82) |
Fast runner standards
There are no guaranteed-entry or qualifying standards.
San Francesco Marathon: official site →Race Weekend
Expo and bib collection
The expo and bib collection run on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00. The exact address was still under definition in the provisional 2026 rules, so check the organiser's page before you plan a Friday or Saturday trip. Only runners who live outside Umbria may collect their bib on race morning at the start, until 08:15.
Bring your confirmation, your federation card or medical certificate, and, for a foreign federation card, the signed original declaration. The first 800 marathon entrants are guaranteed a T-shirt.
Getting to the start
Meet at 07:00 in Piazza della Porziuncola in Santa Maria degli Angeli. The start and the finish are in the same square, so a room in the lower town removes any transfer. Official bag drop runs from 07:00 to 08:30 with a bib sticker on the bag, and bags come back to the finish area. Suitcases and bulky bags are not accepted.
The rail station serves Santa Maria degli Angeli, about 1 km from the square, not the hilltop, so a hotel in upper Assisi means a descent to the valley before the race. Sunday first trains and buses, any strike on race day and the town's road-closure and traffic-restricted-zone notices are not published. Stay in the lower town or pre-book a ride. Bicycles are barred from the course by a prefectural order.
Nutrition on course
The rules list refreshment stations every 5 km and at the finish, with water, sports supplements and solid foods at each. Gel brands, cup format and any arrangement for personal bottles are not published, and the toilet positions are not given.
Spectating
Piazza della Porziuncola is the start, the finish and the bag area, so a spectator can see the gun and the finish without leaving Santa Maria degli Angeli. The route returns past Via Patrono d'Italia at about 8 km, so a supporter in the lower town can also see the field early without transport.
Bastia Umbra and Spello are on the route and could add viewing points, but the 2026 timings and road closures must be checked before relying on them. Bicycles are barred from the course. A live tracker was not found.
- Watch the gun at about 09:15 in Piazza della Porziuncola
- Walk through Santa Maria degli Angeli to the basilica and the Porziuncola
- Return to the square for the finish
Post-race food
The finish area serves water, supplements and solid food, and the rules do not confirm a pasta party. For a proper meal, look in Santa Maria degli Angeli near the square.
Umbrian food leans on lentils, cured pork and truffle, with pasta served as strangozzi, a hand-rolled, thick, eggless spaghetti. Late November is off-season, so book a table and ask whether the kitchen is open on Sunday afternoon.
Where to Stay
Stay in Santa Maria degli Angeli, near Piazza della Porziuncola. The start, the finish and the bag area are in the square, and the rail station is in the same district.
Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola
The best base. Walk to the gun and from the finish. Check that your hotel serves an early breakfast, and that it is open in late November.
Upper Assisi
The medieval hill town, with the Basilica of Saint Francis, is a steep ride above the start, about 3 km in a straight line. A hotel here suits the heritage setting but needs a race-morning transfer to the valley, and a taxi home after the race is kinder than the climb.
Bastia Umbra
On the route, with practical urban connections. A verified early ride to the gun is needed.
Book a cancellable room in the lower town once your entry is confirmed. The expo address is undecided, so do not pick a hotel for pick-up reasons yet.
Booking timeline
The €80 entry tier runs to 15 November and the €95 tier to 21 November, so entering earlier saves money. Sort your federation card or athletics medical certificate first, because the 42K needs one. Reserve a cancellable room in Santa Maria degli Angeli, and check that it is open in November.
Watch the organiser's page for the expo address and the grids in the last ten days. Perugia is the nearest regional airport, but flights and the last leg need checking. Revisit the Sunday transport, the road closures and the weather in race week.
See & Do
Distances are straight-line from Piazza della Porziuncola. Check November opening hours.
Porziuncola and the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli
A small chapel inside a very large basilica, a flat walk from the finish.
Basilica of Saint Francis, Assisi
The hilltop basilica, reached by bus or taxi. Check access and worship restrictions.
Medieval lanes of Assisi
Steep, paved lanes in pink stone. Take the bus or a taxi up.
Spello
A hill village among olive groves, a short regional train ride from the start. Check the timetable.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday in November, so recovery days start on the Monday. Assisi, Spello and Perugia are all close, and the steep parts are best taken by bus, taxi or lift.
A small chapel inside a very large basilica, a rose garden and a flat walk through the lower town, all within a few minutes of the finish.
A medieval hill town of pink stone, with a basilica of frescoes, a Roman temple on the main square and a steep approach that is best taken by bus or taxi.
A hill village of flower-lined lanes and Pinturicchio frescoes, and a working Umbrian town a few minutes down the line.
Two nights in the hilltop capital of Umbria and one in a cathedral town on volcanic rock, with the steepest parts handled by lift, escalator and funicular.